Heels Don’t = Empowerment.
*Indie+Design has not received any sponsorship for this article nor free goods. …mores the pity. We would be totally open to free shoes! Most of us wear a size UK 6.
It’s been 4 years since Pricewatwergouse Coopers sent Nicola Thorp home for refusing to wear high heels at work. Despite a petition signed by 152,000 and backed by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and MPs Caroline Dinenage, Margot James and Tulip Siddiq. A government investigative committee found women wearing high heels were expected to climb ladders, move furniture and walk for great distances. The government’s copout, as reported by The Guardian, “Gender discrimination cannot be tackled with regulation alone.” The Tory-led government would rather employees take all the risk to make complaints against their bosses referencing the Equality Act 2010.
The UK isn’t the only country going soft on unequal dress codes. Cannes film festival has seen actresses being bared from their own premieres for going barefoot in protest.
“Equivalent Level of Smartness”
The law states that businesses can set up different dress policies for men and women as long as there are “equivalent level of smartness.” That’s really the big clue here. Men don’t wear heels but wear smart looking flats. In looking to overthrow inequality, small and quiet acts of civil disobedience cant start with designer mules.
Below are just some of the offerings online in some of our favourite designer discount stores. All have 1inch heels or flats. Not all flats are ballet slippers. Not all flats are unattractive. Not all flats come from the shoe rack in the supermarket. (Mind you all of the following are their SALE prices.) These are just a sampling of what is out there for Spring. Office ready. As classic or as wild as you want to be.